Feeler holder



8 1949., R. FORTLJNE 2,463,760

FEELER HOLDER Filed July 17, 1946 l 1 J; I: 4 s l a '5- INVENTOR. Robert Fortune y/RTTORN EY? Patented Mar. 8, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,463,760 w FEELER HOLDER Robert Fortune, Flint, Mich.

Application July 17, 1946, Serial No- 684,391

3 Claims.

This invention relates to feeler holders. While the term feeler has been applied to a variety of test devices, the term as herein used designates a flexible metal finger terminally mounted on a rod permitting insertion of the feeler in places difficult of access, to ascertain whether any interstice occurs between two abutting parts. Such an instrument is primarily useful to tool and die makers and in assembly of machines.

Objects of the invention are to provide a feeler holder of simple construction definitely assuring against play of the feeler in the holder or its escape therefrom, and imparting to at least a considerable portion of the feeler a transversely bowed form, materially stiffenin the feeler.

These objects are attained by the construction hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein;

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the improved holder and a feeler held thereby.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the same.

Fig. 4 is an axial sectional view of the holder and feeler taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

In these views, the reference character I designates the tubular handle of my improved holder, an end portion of which is exteriorly threaded. Screwed on such end portion is a sleeve 2 formed at its front end with a tongue 3 projecting forwardly, the root of such tongue being at one side of the sleeve axis and the tongue being bent to extend across such axis at a suitable angle thereto as for example forty-five degrees. Said tongue has an arcuate curvature transverse to its length and such curvature may be that of the sleeve of which the tongue is a part. Thus the tongue is preferably formed by cutting away an end portion of the sleeve. The tongue forms one jaw of a clamp, a companion jaw being formed by the front end face of a pin 4 freely fitted within the sleeve 2 and having a reduced shank 4a inserted in the handle I, the pin seating against the handle at the base of said shank. The jaw-forming face of said pin is beveled to occupy the same diagonal relation to the sleeve axis as does the tongue, and is convexly curved in an exactly complementary relation to the can-cave clamping face of the tongue. By screwing the handle into the sleeve 2, the pin 4 may be advanced toward the tongue to firmly clamp the inner portion of an elongated strip 5 of thin flexible sheet metal, known as a feeler. This strip is preferably tapered to form at least an approximate point at its free end, facilitating insertion of such end in any interstice or crack at the juncture of two parts of an assembly. In clamping the feeler as described, a transversely bowed form is im-' parted to the inner end portion of the feeler, this form extending considerably outward beyond the jaws and desirably stiffening the feeler except in its outer portion. This stiffening effect has been found a considerable advantage in use of the instrument, assuring a positive return of the feeler to its normal position following flexure entailed in use, and permitting a user of the instrument to more readily interpret, by feeling, any movement occurring at the feeler point.

Feelers are commonly cut from thin accurately gauged sheet metal, as needed, and a satisfactory provision for tightly clampin them on the ends of handles has heretofore been lacking. They have occasionally moved on their handles in use, and thus given false indications. Their flexibility particularly in the lower gauges has been excessive, rendering it difficult to ascertain, solely from the sense of touch whether or not they have penetrated a crack or crevice. The described holder, in addition to imparting a stiffening bowed form to a feeler, assures a very positive clamping of same, with no possibility of escape or lost motion.

What I claim is:

1. A feeler holder comprising an elongated handle having a threaded end portion, a sleeve having screw-threaded engagement with said end portion and having a forwardly projecting, jaw-forming tongue diagonally extending across the sleeve axis, a pin seating against the handle and slidable within said sleeve and forming at its front end a clamping jaw paired with said tongue, whereby said pin and tongue coact to clamp a feeler by screwing the handle into the sleeve, one of the feeler clamping faces of said pin and tongue havin a convex curvature and the other having a substantially complementary concave curvature, for imparting a transversely bowed form to a feeler clamped by said jaws.

2. A feeler holder as set forth in claim 1, the forward portion of said sleeve being cut away at one side of the sleeve axis to form said tongue at the other side of such axis, and such tongue being bent to extend across said axis, whereby said tongue has a clamping face concaved as determined by the internal curvature of the sleeve, the clamping end of said pin having a substantially complementary convex curvature.

3. A feeler holder comprising a sleeve, a jaw fixed on one end of the sleeve, a companion jaw slidable in said sleeve, said jaws having coactlng feeler clamping faces diagonally inclined to 2,468,760 3 4 the sleeve axis and having complementary curva- UNI ENT tures transverse to their diagonal inclination to TED STATES PAT s impart a bowed reinforcing form to a clamped Number Name Date feeler, and a handle carrying said sleeve and ad- 932,378 n s et a A 1 justable longitudinally of the sleeve to impose a 5 ,8 McMillan ec- 92 clamping stress on said sliding jaw. 1,438,617 Starrett Dec. 12, 1922 2,427,369 Ruple Sept. 16, 1947 ROBERT FORTUNE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

